Ensure real-time emission monitoring, cameras in all polluting industries in NCR: CPCB to states

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has directed Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to ensure installation and operation of real-time emission monitoring systems and cameras in all major polluting industries in the National Capital Region (NCR) by December 31, 2025.

The move aims to strengthen surveillance and self-regulation in industries amid continuing poor air quality in Delhi-NCR.

The CPCB said that out of 2,361 food processing, textile and metal processing units in NCR, 2,010 have not yet installed and connected their online continuous emission monitoring systems (OCEMS) to the CPCB server.

In fresh directions issued on October 9, CPCB Member Secretary Bharat Kumar Sharma instructed the state pollution control boards to immediately begin the process of installing OCEMS and pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras in all red-category units in the three sectors.

These systems will allow real-time tracking of emissions, stack gases and industrial operations, the CPCB said.

According to the directions, OCEMS will be installed for monitoring particulate matter (PM) in boilers, furnaces and thermic fluid heaters in food, textile and metal units.

Metal industries using fuels such as met-coke, low sulfur heavy stock or ultra-low sulfur oil will also have to monitor sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). PTZ cameras will be installed to monitor stack emissions, fume extraction areas and boiler operations.

The state pollution boards have been told to submit an "action taken report" to the CPCB within 15 days.

The CPCB said the directions follow earlier orders dating back to 2018 and 2019, which required all medium and large red-category industries in NCR to install and connect OCEMS before starting operations. However, verification by state boards found large-scale non-compliance.

The agency also noted that the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL) has been designated as the national verification agency for OCEMS certification and conformity testing.

The CPCB said the latest order seeks to bring uniformity and accountability in industrial self-monitoring under the "polluter pays" principle. PTI GVS GVS KVK KVK